A FORUM FOR ART AS SOCIAL PRACTICE AND PARTICIPATORY ART; COMMENTS ARE OPEN.READINGS REFER TO "LIVING AS FORM: SOCIALLY ENGAGED ART FROM 1991-2011"

4/16/09

Start: Hair Salon End: 17th and Pennsylvania Ave.

Team 1: Mandy, Tina, and Farolyn

Project: "Let's record human interaction in a hair salon!" We began with a list a mile long, from turning a hair salon into a recording studio to disrupting the natural flow of bar conversation. It took a few weeks for our project to take flight. We decided to dismiss the hair salon and bar idea early on. Our next plan consisted of myself, Mandy and Tina interviewing businessmen on Capitol Hill. This idea was neglected after we considered the odds of capturing 30 seconds of a businessman's attention on Capitol Hill during lunch hour. After many sketches, we landed upon the idea of interviewing art museum security guards. Our audience broadened to include hospital professionals as well as several passerby on 17th st. We entered jewelry stores, and local galleries to find an answer to a question that is too often debated: 'What is the definition of art?' This question left many interviewees puzzled. I can only imagine the thoughts that ran through most of their heads. They probably wondered why a couple of art students felt their definition was so important. I must say I enjoyed working with my fellow team members. After tons of planning, we were able to nail a topic and run with it. Our encounters with several passerby has inspired me to strike up conversation more often regarding the definition of art. I agree with Tina, we definitely could have benefited from more time for interviewing. An average interview lasted 20 - 25 minutes. Mandy made a good point also in her post below. Who knew one question would lead to a half an hour conversation about art classes, poetry, Frank Gehry and a lost wallet?

Conclusion: This project was tons of fun. I am very glad we stepped outside of our original plan. Interviewing strangers was far more exciting. Everyone enjoyed sharing their definition or idea of art. This experience was different from the hospital in many ways. The hospital is quiet, sterile and usually considered the last place anyone would want to schedule a vacation. The Corcoran neighborhood was live and filled with many unique individuals whose occupation, name, and residence remained hidden. The hospital provided an honest environment where techs and nurses did not mind taking a few seconds out of their work day to answer a question. Overall, this project allowed me to work on my collaborative skills. One idea spoken by one person belongs to the whole team.